President Trump’s Muslim Ban must be strongly condemned including by Prime Minister Najib

Media Statement by Dr. Ong Kian Ming, Member of Parliament for Serdang, on the 29th of January 2017

President Trump’s Muslim Ban must be strongly condemned including by Prime Minister Najib

President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed yesterday, to stop Syrian refugees from entering the United States and to stop non-US citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries – Libya, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – from entering the United States, must be strongly condemned.

It is an inhumane action especially for those Syrian refugees who already have been granted approval to travel to and seek asylum in the United States.

It is an unjustified action that affects thousands of students and employees who are studying and working legally in the United States.

It is hugely disturbing action that points to further steps that may be taken by Trump including making it harder for citizens from other predominantly Muslim countries such as Malaysia, to travel to, study in and work in the United States.

Ironically, Trump’s executive action affects citizens from these seven countries that have been invited by the United States government to visit or study or do research in the US via US state department programs such as the International Visitors Program (IVP) and the Fulbright Scholarship / Fellowship Program, just to name a few. As a former recipient of the Fulbright scholarship to the US, where I completed my PhD in political science at Duke University, I strongly condemn this action by Trump as it stands against the principles of non-discrimination and openness represented by the United States.

Many world leaders have already criticized this executive action by President Trump.[1] Prime Minister Najib, on the 21st of January, 2017 sent out a congratulatory message to Trump on his inauguration as the 45th President of the United States. Will PM Najib also send a message to Trump to condemn this executive action that affects the citizens of these Muslim majority countries?

One Reply to “President Trump’s Muslim Ban must be strongly condemned including by Prime Minister Najib”

I wish politicians and every one else would get it right: it is not a MUSLIM BAN – it is even worse. It is selective. 7 nations are named. The Saudis who are his good business buddies are not. And the trauma of 9/11 that he is protecting the USA from…. was perpetrated by… Saudis recruited by al Qaeda.

Whether refugees or those with valid visas to work, let alone enter the USA, only those from the 7 nations Trump himself announced, are banned. Not ALL MUSLIMS.

We stoke more hysteria among some, note some Muslims by calling it ‘a Muslim ban’ and the ramifications can be pretty awful for Christian minorities in Muslim majority nations (See Pew Report which 2014 which ranks Christians as the most oppressed (not persecuted) in the world. Please, let’s be more precise.